


That Bites: Oppressed

by aam5ever



Series: That Bites [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, Original Characters - Freeform, Vampire!Joel, irregular updates, oh look it's book two, vampire!gavin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-29
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-27 08:58:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2686871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aam5ever/pseuds/aam5ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In continuation to That Bites, Ray and Joel and everyone of Roosterteeth get caught up in a world of constant watch from the police towards the vampires. They can't do much about it, but what if other people do?<br/>Will they also get pulled into the uprising?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Time Skip

**Author's Note:**

> Hey look, book two!  
> I couldn't leave this story, so here's the second part to this series that I hope (pray) you'll love!  
> I've worked on trying to improve my writing. Hopefully, it shows. Relationships and plot thicken!

It's been a couple months now, since the night of Halloween. Thanksgiving was a blast to have, and it was a great day for everyone at Roosterteeth. A beautiful Christmas came and went, and that was when everyone realized that Joel and Ray truly were a couple. The announcement was followed up by Geoff throwing a grape at them and exclaiming how 'Obvious as Dicks' it was. The rest of the year went fast, and they were all now well into January.

Around them, things were not going as well. 

Gavin's prediction was correct; the government's idea of 'careful watch' was soon replaced with a twisted game of red light, green light. It was like you had to stop being yourself once the police were around (red light) and you were only free when you were out of their sight (green light). This only applied to vampires, of course.

And do you know the most creepy thing?

Nobody mentions the night of Halloween in Austin.

"Hey, dude," Ray overheard someone began speaking. A lady. "where were you on that crazy night-"

"What crazy night?" The second person, a man, quickly said. Too quickly, if you asked the Hispanic.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ray saw the woman look at him with a weirded out expression. "Halloween night of last year."

"I-I wasn't there." The man told her. "I was... at a cousin's, outside of Texas." 

Ray turned his head to look at who just spoke, and a memory sparked in the back of his mind. That man was lying. He had been there that night. How did Ray know? 

He has saved the man's sorry life from a crazed vampire that was frothing at the mouth.

Joel tugged at Ray's arm. "Hey, dude." He hadn't heard what the younger man had. "C'mon, we're next in line." He saw something flash in his boyfriend's youthful, brown eyes. Confusion? Sadness? It was hard to tell. "You alright?"

Ray snapped back into focus. "Yeah, sorry." He sheepishly smiled. "Just thinking about that sushi we're gonna be munchin' on." He smirked. "They're dreamy."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Joel rolled his eyes and stepped forward to the counter. They were in a small but nice Japanese resturuant. They placed their order, than had a seat at the nearest almost-spotless table. Drizzle was starting to fall outside, and Joel couldn't help but smile. He wasn't affected by cold, but still felt the mental obligation to bundle up in a jacket and scarf. Across from him, Ray shivered.

He rubbed his reddening nose and sighed. "Cold is an asshole." His nose twitched. "A big one, too. Why the fuck is it so cold this year?" Joel laughed his airy, almost quiet laugh, interrupted by what usually sounded like hiccups. Ray smiled. The laugh was super cute.

"Don't be so harsh on Mother Earth." He tried to make light of the situation.

"Says the guy who Mother Earth doesnt fuck with." Ray complained further. He had a point.

Joel leaned in, whispering with a saucy voice. "She already knows which one I fuck with." He winked. Blushing slightly, Ray rubbed the area under his scarf where Joel assumed his bite was. 

"We're in public, God damn it." Ray tried to seem annoyed. Of course, it was an act. "Can you not try to seem like you want to screw me on the silverware?"

"Who says I'm not-" Joel was interrupted by the waiter that brought them both their drinks. Green tea for Joel, soda for Ray. Joel eyed the glass that held the soda. "For fuck's sake, Ray. It's winter."

"Soda doesn't have a season." Ray teased. "It's the only 'cold one' I'll be grabbing." He sipped from the straw, then sighed in content.

After playful, harmless banter, Ray got his meal of hot sushi. Next to it was wasabi, and Joel used one of the spoons supplied to scoop it up and eat it in one bite before the waiter could even move.

Heat didn't really affect him, either. 

"Sir, do you need water?" The waiter looked concerned for Joel's life. Joel only smiled his simple, sharp toothed smile, shaking his head. Blinking in surprise, the waiter left them alone.

Ray laughed. "Wow, man. He looked at you like you were fucking insane!"

Joel shrugged. "No different than the usual." He sipped his scalding yet soothing tea. What he said had a type of truth behind it, if 'a monster' replaced 'insane'. 

He hadn't ordered anything, of course. There was no point. He had already eaten his meal earlier (pig's blood wasn't the most appealing thing to drink in mixed company anyways). Watching Ray eat was always fascinating to Joel. It wasn't often that the younger man looked up and Joel WASN'T looking at him. He had gotten used to it easily.

At one point, Ray audibly groaned. "Screw this." He put the chopsticks down. "I'll American this shit like a bitch." He reluctantly picked the fork up, causing Joel to chuckle, and the younger man to cast a playful glare at him.

When they finished up, Joel taking his last sip of green tea as Ray burped, then excused himself. In all honesty, he only excused himself around the vampire. 

In all honesty, his boyfriend couldn't care less.

They left the establishment with Ray paying the bill and Joel taking care of the tip. There was an argument the first time they went out to eat about who paid, and it was settled when the younger man pointed out he actually ATE something. Yet, to make the vampire feel better, he let him handle the tip.

Joel tipped generously.

The sun was beginning to set, since it was around five o'clock. Daylight was battling for power yet again as Spring was making its return. For Ray, he wished it would come faster. For Joel, he enjoyed the winter, especially since it hardly was cold in Austin, let alone this much. What was happening with the world these days?

Around Christmas time, they claimed it to be a 'Christmas Miracle' that people could even put on coats. Joel just assumed that it was proving how Global Warming was being battled.

They were walking to Joel's car, which was a bit of a walk to get to. The vampire suddenly pulled the man in an area between a small shoe store and a bakery. The warm pasteries that wafted from inside the bakery and delighted Ray's nose was wonderful. Joel had been sure to pop a mint inside the sushi place. Ray, however, not really. 

"Joel, what the hell!" Ray whispered loudly. "What are you doing?" He was against the brick wall to the right. Joel put both of his hands on said wall, Ray's head in between them. The younger man suddenly felt very small, yet very turned on by the look in his boyfriend's eyes.

The vampires leaned closer, his lips at Ray's ear. The warm breath made the human shudder as he spoke. "I'm doing what I do every day, Ray. Kissing you." He then brought the same lips to Ray's mouth and began to passionately get carried away by the feelings of love and adoration. Ray's lips moved in sinc, and they were like that for a few moments. Getting caught up in each other was one of their favorite shared passtimes. Joel tasted the sweet soda from Ray's mouth, and Ray tasted the fresh mint from Joel's.

The vampire dared to venture down to Ray's neck. His tongue swirled on the flesh on the other side of the bite. He sucked and kissed, wanting to leave another mark that wasn't as... permanent as the other on the opposite side of Ray's neck. Said man moaned as softly as he could, one of his hands running through Joel's hair, the other down his back. The feeling of want was present in his quiet moans, and Joel could feel it. 

"Hey!" Someone shouted. Footsteps were advancing towards them, and as Joel seperated himself, someone pushed him. Regaining his footing, the vampire took a defensive stance. A cop stood in front of him, looking angry. Behind him was Ray, frightened and confused. "What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?"

Joel stood up straighter, trying to make it seem like he was no harm. Instinctively, he smiled. "I'm- I'm sorry, officer. I think you have the wrong idea." Ray glared at the officer from behind his back. "It was- I was only engaging in... sexual contact."

"Didn't look like it, you freak." Joel winced, but tried not to look phased. "What're you sucking on the guy's neck for?"

"Hickies aren't a new thing." Ray spoke up. He pushed past the officer, and went to Joel, hugging his arm protectively. "Can you leave my boyfriend alone?"

The officer looked both flustered and skeptical at the same time. "Boyfriend?" Boy, did he look foolish. "Uh, you- you keep that off the streets, you got that?" They nodded. He backed away slightly before walking away. Joel noticed the hand that was on the baton before he left.

Joel also heard the murmured "Dirty bloodsuckers." that escaped the police man's mouth.

Ray sighed loudly before looking up at Joel, who looked sort of disoriented. Either that, or unfocused. "Joel?" He shook his arm slightly. "Are you okay?"

The older male looked down at him with a blank look before coming to his complete senses. Nodding, a sad smile appeared on his face. "Let's go home, Ray Ray."

"That's the worst nickname ever, Joel." Ray rolled his eyes. "Of all time."

They began walking to the car again, making no attempt to continue their (rudely) interrupted moment. The cold nipped at the two, but not as much as the ongoing targeting of vampires. Ray held Joel's hand tight, to assure the older that he was there for him. He supported his boyfriend at all times.

Because unbeknownst to Joel, Ray heard what the officer had murmured too.


	2. Simple Day at Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work's atmosphere has been cool, calm, and collected...  
> Who will disturb that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chill chapter, with foreshadowing!

The next day was Monday, and Gavin arrived with a cup of coffee for both him and Meg at work. 

"Here, love." He handed the cup over to her when he saw her in the hall. She took it, and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, Gav." She smiled.

Michael scoffed from behind him. "What a lovesick moron." Lindsay glared at him from the side. He noticed and sheepishly smiled at her. "Love you!"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, idiot." She smirked before kissing him and going to her room to work. Gavin giggled from beside him.

"I'm not the only lovesick one, now am I?" He teased. Michael kicked his shin, and nearly made him spill his coffee all over the floor.

Gavin yelped. "Hey, not cool!" He heard the redhead laughing next to him and groaned. Standing up straight again, he looked up and saw Joel and Ray hugging before going to their own different work places. "Oh, look at them!" 

"Get a room!" Michael yelled down the hall to them. They had pulled away when they heard it, and simultaneously flipped the bird. Gavin laughed.

"Aye, bloody rude!" He said before sipping his coffee.

Work was relaxing lately. With all the governmental things and bigger Let's Plays out of the way, people had breathing room. There weren't cops around to monitor your every move, either. So, that meant the vampires of the company could mess with whoever they want without having the threat of being hauled off to a police station.

Settling down in his chair, Gavin drank his coffee. It settled a thirst for something liquid, yet not the ever present blood thirst. It was something he slowly learned to cope with, since he couldn't do much about it. Joel told him about visiting butcher shops to get blood, but Gavin's never been there himself. Brandon gets him the stuff because he's too squeamish. Of course, Brandon also reminds him every time that he could always get it himself.

"Hey, guys." Jack came into their office. Settling down after the others greeted him, he sat next to Ryan and stretched. "How was everyone's weekend?"

"Fine." Ryan quickly answered. He didn't mean to come off as rude. He was in the middle of doing something.

Geoff glanced over at Jack, who was smiling gleefully. "What's the matter with you? Usually you're all grumpy in the mornings."

Jack shrugged. "I don't know, I'm just in a great mood." 

"Hopefully you can keep that up in the Let's Plays." The tattooed man told him. He sipped from his own drink. "Lord knows we need energy in this sleepy office."

Later on, they were making a Super Mario Bros. Let's Play on the WiiU. Geoff happily took the tablet while the others played as characters. Ryan watched from the side, laughing at how bad Geoff was screwing them over.

"Geoff, you soggy sausage!" Gavin yelled before screaming as Luigi fell off a ledge. The tattooed man's laugh ensued. "I can't believe it!"

"Oh, believe it, Gav." Jack chuckled before almost getting killed by a Bullet Bill. "Oh, shit!" He saved himself just in time. "Phew."

Michael groaned loudly in anger. "Geoff, I'm gonna break your fingers. I'm gonna smash your fingers with that GOD DAMN WIIU TABLET FUCK!" His character, Mario, had just been left behind by the moving screen, courtesy of Geoff blocking him in. 

Ray laughed, and then popped Michael's bubble so he could come back into the game. "Geoff's one son of a bitch, isn't he?" Ray saw Gavin's character fall off screen again, and heard the squawking that came from the other side of him. He laughed even harder. "Damn it, Gavin!"

"You're dying more times than you're on screen!" Jack exclaimed in disbelief. 

Gavin pouted. "Guys..." He saw the character lives on the top of the screen. His was grayed out, the number zero present next to his name. "I'm dead for real."

"You absolute idiot." His redhead friend said as they were all jumping on the flag pole. Geoff blocked Ray from jumping, and he didn't make it. 

Geoff giggled before speaking. "Good job, you guys!" He smiled at Michael's glare. "We did it!"

"You know that movie Horrible Bosses, where they all want to kill their boss or whatever?" Ray said. "I think I want to join them."

"Aw, Ray," Geoff tried his best not to laugh. "don't be like that..."

Ryan chuckled. He looked over at the youngest in the room and smiled. Ray had really been happy lately, the older man thought. Since that one Halloween night, he had recovered from the injury to his head. Stitches had actually been in order for it. 

In the case of emotionally... you could say that he recovered that way, too. He, the first few days after everything happened, didn't speak much. Not to Joel or Geoff or anyone. It was all a very emotionally scarring time for him. It was for everyone, of course, but not as much as with Ray. He wasn't doing it to be secluded or anything. The man just looked like he was in deep thought constantly. Burnie, at one point, wondered it therapy was in order. Upon hearing that, Ray spoke more, and constantly. He didn't want to sit with a stranger and talk about feelings. It sounded weird to him. He still had moments where he wouldn't talk, but they weren't as frequent or lasting too long. 

Ray also had been getting tired at work those first weeks after the whole thing. All of them didn't know why, but he tried his best to stay awake. It was only once Joel told them about his nightmares did they understand. 

But now, Ray was happy. He had been going to the gym, actually working out. He also ate better, and smiled much more. It was amazing how he transformed from when Joel was taken, to when he was beaten up, to now.

Life is strange, isn't it?

Ryan's thoughts HAD went off on a tangent, but he didn't mind. In this job, that happened frequently with no consequence. 

A few rooms away, Ashley was nervously biting her lip. She didn't know who to tell, and Burnie had no idea. Kerry was passing the room she was in, and she suddenly called him in. She was alone, staring at this symbol. Trying to make sense of it. 

"You okay, Ashley?" He asked her. She didn't answer, and only turned her computer monitor to him.

Her voice was laced with worry. "I have no idea what this is." Ashley saw a confused expression flash across Kerry's face. 

"Um..." The symbol was an angry face with fangs. Under it, someone wrote, 'The Watchers have been Watched'. It was anonymous and somehow, Ashley came to work and saw that on her screen. "I don't know, Ash."

Her worry doubled. "I'm scared. I have no idea what this even means..."

"Maybe we should ask Brandon." Kerry said. "He might know what it is, right? Maybe it's some vampire symbol or something."

Ashley looked skeptical, but sighed. "Alright. We'll ask him later."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever


	3. Signs of Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new symbol... a new symbol, and nobody that understands or knows it. It pops up more than once, and in multiple locations.  
> Yet, the question still stands; "What watchers have been watched?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooh questionable things! Confusion is setting in...  
> Happy reading!

"'The Watchers have been Watched'..." Brandon scratched his chin and his brow furrowed. "The Watchers..." It was a rather creepy message. "I don't think I've ever seen this before." It was true. That wasn't a symbol he had ever witnessed.

A sudden, girlish shriek made Ashley's head shoot up. "What was that?"

Kerry waved it off. "Gavin screaming."

"Oh." She focused her attention back on the symbol. "I have no idea what this is, and how it got on my computer."

An idea popped up in Brandon's head, but he didn't like the sound of it. It wasn't anything good at all. "Maybe..." He hesitated. "Maybe it's some sort of gang?"

That idea made Kerry's blood run cold. A gang? In Austin? "There are hardly any gangs in Texas. What would this even be about?"

"No idea." Brandon shook his head. "But symbols like this are usually taken seriously."

Ashley tried to think of a less violent source. "Don't teens sometimes make stuff like this?"

"Ash..." Brandon sighed. "I don't think teens would do this." He knew she was scared, but he couldn't do anything to calm her down. "Don't take my word, though. Let's try to hope this isn't what I think it is, okay?" Kerry nodded in agreement. Ashley just exited out of the tab the symbol was on. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" The vampire asked. They both nodded, and Brandon took that as an invitation to leave.

At the end of the day, Ray and Joel were driving to Ray's apartment (that they now shared). When they got inside, Joel sighed and sat on the couch.

"How was your day at work?" He asked.

Ray rolled his eyes. "We just came from the same job." 

"Well- well that's not exactly true." Joel smirked, his one fang showing. "We came from different jobs. Just in the same company."

The younger man knew he wasn't about to let it go. "Fine, Mr. Right." He took of his shoes. "Jesus, do you live in a barn? Take off your shoes."

"Don't tell me what to do." Joel teased, just to get Ray annoyed.

"My apartment," Ray went to hang his coat in his closet. "my rules." He looked back at Joel. "Shoes off." His voice suddenly changed from playful to deadly.

The vampire quickly removed his shoes. 

Ray smiled. "Good." He then went to lounge on the couch with his boyfriend. "So how was YOUR day?" He asked him.

Joel shrugged. "Adam punched me in the ribs." He didn't really give an explanation.

"...oookay, is there a fucking reason?" 

"Stupid scary game." He folded his arms like a child.

"Did my little J-Roll get scared?" Ray said in a singsong voice.

"No!" Joel defended. "...Maybe." He murmured. Ray laughed at him. They were both scaredy cats, sure. But Joel had to play those types of games for other people's entertainment. Ray hardly touched those games when he was in the office, or at home. 

Ray looked over at Joel before speaking up again. "Anything special you want for dinner?"

He shook his head. "Actually, I'll just make something for the both of us."

The younger man lifted an eyebrow. "I get a specially made meal?" He smiled at Joel's eye roll. 

"Sure, whatever." 

Later, when their bellies were full, Joel turned on the TV while Ray was showering. Automatically, it switched to the news. The vampire was about to switch off of the channel when something caught his eye. Of course, it wasn't something... uplifting.

"Recent reports today have been centered around multiple symbols seen around the main cities of San Diego, Austin, and New York." The female news anchor said. The picture shown of the symbol was what looked like graffiti on the side of a brick building. An angry vampire face. "This one what just outside of Mr. Franker's Antique Shop, within New York."

The camera changed from the woman to Mr.Franker, an old man that seemed to be from the Middle East. "I don't know when that was painted on there!" He promised. "I had no knowledge of this, and have no idea what it is!" 

"When you saw it, what did you think of it?" The suited man next to him asked. He pointed the microphone back at shop owner.

Mr. Franker shook his head in disbelief. "I thought it was bull at first. Completely a teen's doing." He nervously looked around. "But when I heard it was in more locations than one, across the country... it's scary."

A collage of photos were on screen. There were multiple, in all parts of those key three places in the country. The camera then changed back to another photo. The same painted face, with words under it. The news anchor spoke once more. "This photo was from Austin. The words written read 'The Watchers have been Watched'." Joel didn't know how to feel about this information. What did it all mean?

Joel was invested in the new news. However, just then, he heard Ray opening the bathroom door. Quickly, Joel changed the channel to sports. He didn't know why he did it. Yet, something about the news installment made him feel like Ray wouldn't react well to it. His younger boyfriend walked out to where he was, drying his hair with a different towel than the one around his waist. 

"Hey, watcha watchin'?" Ray looked at the TV. "Huh, you don't watch this team much."

"Yeah, well, ya'know." Was the vampire's lame excuse. The other man bought it, and left it alone. He shrugged and went to change. Joel got up and went to shower, shutting off the television before leaving the livingroom.

Who were the watchers, and who were the ones that watched?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Message me questions or even prompts!


	4. Ryan's Quick Breather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan decided to leave work for a quick morning break. He didn't have work to do anyways.  
> He got more than he bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the chapter! It's Ryan-centric, not something you see much.  
> It's also very short, so sorry!

The next day was a warmer one. Ryan had got to work quite early, and went outside to get some fresh air. Besides, he had finished a lot of the work he needed to anyways. 

The man leaned against a wall not too far from Stage 5. A chilly wind swept across the land, causing him to shiver slightly and stick his hands in his pockets. Trees plucked clean of leaves swished in the breeze, knocking their branches together. The raw feeling of seeing nature take place, even on such a small scale, caused Ryan to smile.

He knew of a coffee shop not too far from work. They knew he was getting a quick breather, and new Let's Plays didn't have to be filmed until the afternoon. Maybe Ryan could get a quick coffee, knowing they made theirs a bit better than the coffee maker in the company kitchen. Plus, he could always get a doughnut too.

Mmm, doughnuts.

He began walking against the wind to get to the shop. It had picked up, causing the Achievement Hunter's blue eyes to involuntarily tear up. Still, he continued on. Crossing the street at one point, he was about to get to the shop when-

"Help! Get the fuck off of me!" It sounded like a boy's voice. Ryan slowly to a stop on the sidewalk. A few people walked around him, giving him looks as if he was crazy. Ryan stood off to the side, waiting to hear if anyone cried out again. 

Instead he heard someone else. "Shut him up!" It barely passed as a whisper. The man realized it was coming from an alleyway, between two unoccupied buildings. He ran for there, wondering what was the problem...

...and why nobody else clearly heard it. Or cared. 

Going down the alleyway, Ryan heard shuffling and dull thumping, along with gasps and groans. Turning the corner revealed two teenaged boys beating on someone on the dirty ground. Ryan's appearance caused the boys to stop. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Ryan tried his best to look intimidating. The standing boys looked flustered, caught off guard. When the man took one step forward, they hightailed it out of there. That was when Ryan softened. He knew he couldn't chase them, but he could at least help the person attacked.

"Leave me alone." He said, bruised and with a weak voice. Whoever it was covered his face. "Get away from me!" He yelled at Ryan when he tried to touch him.

The man was startled at his voice level, but didn't show it. "Are you okay? I'm not here to hurt you."

"That's all humans are there to do." He spat. "Hurt." The opinion was strong and forceful.

Ryan didn't know how to react. Tell him he's wrong? Let him believe that? It was all so confusing. What has this boy been through? "I'm not sure why you believe that..." He began. "But I'm sure there are some things humans do that don't hurt others." He didn't want to use the term vampire, even though he was 98% sure this boy was one. "We can cook a mean steak, right?" He tried to lighten the mood with the joke.

When the boy didn't respond, Ryan sighed. Well, there went his first option of comedy persuasion. He wasn't that good at jokes, anyway. "Why'd they want to beat you up, anyway?"

"I-I don't know." The teenager said shakily. He removed his arm from his face, revealing himself. He was a vampire, alright. A bruised, scared one. "I didn't have the strength to fight back, I haven't had blood in so long." Ryan was familiar with the system; blood was directly related to energy. "They kept on calling me vampire slurs..." He looked ready to cry, but didn't. Instead he scooted away from Ryan even more.

The man bit his lip. They targeted him, just because he was a vampire? "Do you want to-"

"Just... just leave me alone." He didn't want to be with anyone. 

Ryan stood up from his crouched position. "...stay off the streets for a while." He fished out a twenty from his wallet, and waited for the boy to take it from him. When he didn't, the bill was thrown near him. 

As he was walking away, Ryan heard the twenty dollar bill being picked up. He cracked a small smile.

Getting back to work, he got to the Achievement Hunter office with a box of six doughnuts, a coffee balanced on top of it...

...and five pairs of eyes trained on him.

"Where were you?" Michael asked. One glance at the doughnuts, and he smirked. "Nevermind."

"Just thought I should get treats for all of you bastards." Ryan said lightheartedly. He placed the box at his desk and opened it, taking one for himself. The others helped themselves to one each, and soon, the box was thrown away. They all munched happily on the varied types of pastry (he knew that not all of them liked the one he liked) as they worked. Sucking his fingers clean of the frosting he had on his, Geoff looked over at the supplier of the treat, ready to thank him. Instead, he saw a look of concern etched into Ryan's features.

The next sentence he said was what replaced the thank you he was going to say. "Are you okay?" The tattooed man's voice was hushed. Blue eyes met worried ones, and Ryan sighed. 

"I saw something... disturbing, while I was out." He told him. As the two whispered among each other. Jack caught snippets of the conversations. Something about vampires and alleys... it was enough to spark curiousity. 

When the bearded coworker was about to ask what they were talking about, Lindsay came in, asking for Ryan. She was having slight tech trouble. A nod passed between him and Geoff as he stood up, and Jack knew it was to signal that they would speak later. Ryan left the room shortly after.

Jack slipped into Ryan's chair as Michael and Gavin were preparing to record Play Pals. Geoff noticed, and shot him a weird look. Jack began to speak to him. "Hey, Geoff."

"Hey, Jack. What's up?" How uncharacteristically unvulgar of a greeting it was. 

"What were you and Ryan talking about?" When Geoff didn't respond, he continued. "I heard him talking about vampires and alleys..."

"It's his business, Jack." Geoff gave him a serious look. "It's up to him to decide who wants to know." With that, he turned back to his work.

Jack, unsatisfied, knew his boss was right. Whatever Ryan was speaking about was his business. He just had to question the source. 

He also had to question whether or not staying in the office was the best choice, since Michael's yelling at Gavin was probably the cause of his developing headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Message me!


	5. A Blonde Satan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are so many people that Joel despised...  
> The government...  
> Erick...  
> But who could forget the person that did a personal number on him?  
> Fran Morgan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel really good for writing this.  
> And really bad for my plot.  
> It's yet another terrible thing happening to someone I wrote! Caution: Feels

Fran Morgan was not a patient woman. Being a mother never appealed to her. She thought of children as nuisances. Being a lawyer never suited her either. She would have to sit and listen to bullshit from the mouths of multiple people before being allowed to speak. Being the owner of a company... now that was a job for her.

It was a business she could call her own, with little workers to boss around and people that listened to her. Whether they listened to her out of fear or not wasn't a matter that she bothered with.

It was just how she did things. Even when she was the owner of that shitty Neighborhood, she worked the same way. 

Now, that was a (short) part of her life that Fran considered her prime. It was something that she had total control of. Whatever she wished, happened. People didn’t question her decisions, and there was justice she was doing.

Now, back in her old job close to Austin, she fumed to herself. How dare they break out of her Neighborhood? How dare they cause such havoc? It was unbelievable to her. Fran sipped her coffee, and realized she was all out. 

“Damn.” Even her whisper echoed through the sterile office. Fran’s heels made a ruckus against the tile under her feet as she rose and took steps towards her garbage can. Throwing the coffee cup away, She swiftly took her coat off of the metal hanger to the right. It was fur, and expensive for a reason.

Fran sighed as she wrapped her cotton scarf around her neck. Damn this weather. Why couldn’t it be warm, like normal? No, instead, she got weather that could freeze. What was she, a damn northerner from New Jersey? 

Exiting the office, a woman was just outside, waiting for her. “Here are your car keys, ma’am.” The woman smiled. Her two sharp teeth made her boss frown unhappily as she took the keys rather gingerly for her nature.

“What are you smiling for?” She snapped. "There's no need for it, don't you think? They're just car keys.” The woman’s smile slipped off her face. She cast a broken look to the sparkling floor underneath her. Fran smirked. “Better. I know you’re only 22, but I am only preparing you for a real job.” As if the woman believed in the vampire in front of her. "People aren't always so nice. Don't let them take advantage of you."

Nonetheless, the vampire woman had ventured to still give a smile, albeit small, her mouth closed. “I know. Thank you for taking me in.” 

Fran sighed. This is what she gets for speaking to this woman. Oh, how she hated conversations like this. “Of course...” Her name was lost to the blonde. She looked down and spotted the name tag. “Ruth.”

Shortly after, she found herself in her car, on her way to her favorite coffee shop around. It was a pretty long way away just for coffee, but Austin did have some great coffee. Even if the joint she visited frequently wasn’t regal, it was good enough for her. Fresh coffee... the taste could keep her awake enough to let her get her job done.

As she entered, a wave of strict purpose following her, she serveyed the shop. The staff in the establishment grew accustomed to her, knowing exactly what she wanted, exactly how she liked it. They mostly did so that she wouldn't give them terrifying looks if they got it wrong. Fran was NOT a woman with room for error. Since the vampire outbreak, she's only become worse. 

"Hello, Ms. Morgan." Charles, the cashier, greeted happily. His fingernails were painted a cheery yellow with pink dots. "The usual, right?" He wasn't about to repeat that long order again.

The woman forced a smile on her face. "I'm glad you remembered, Charleston." She was the only one to even call him that. Her piercing blue eyes rested on his nails. "Oh, what's this?" He held his hand out for Fran to have a look. 

"I just got them done yesterday." He tried to ignore the fact that their encounter was holding up the line. Charles had no idea what this woman would do if she was hurried along. "Do you like them?"

"Yes... yes..." It sounded like a complete no. "I don't think these are your colors, though." He squirmed in his skin from the disapproval. "Purples and maroons would be better. Oh, that color is lovely." Mystery... mystery and complete control were what those colors represented. They were always used to represent royalty.

Charles nodded, trying to understand her. "Yeah, I see what you mean." He then began to call for the next customer, and silently breathed a sigh of relief when she moved to the place where she was to wait.

Even when she was being nice, she was scary.

Fran Morgan checked her phone. 1pm read on her lock screen, along with a call from her ex husband. No matter. She replaced the phone in her designer bag and looked up-

And felt her heart stop.

Joel and Ray were used to going out and having coffee in public these days. They were sort of making up the time lost because of the Neighborhood fiascos and Ray's weeks of slightly constant silence. It was always fun to go out. Even Joel didn't mind. In winter, the sun didnt bother him much. Sometimes he'd go without a hood for a few minutes during daylight.

Today wasn't a day to go without a hood. He had the grey hoodie on, and saw Ray coming over with coffee for the both of them. The warm liquid was always welcome to the couple. 

He then felt something weird. Like someone was watching him.

Looking away from his boyfriend, the vampire met a stare from a blonde, pink lipped woman. Her bun was impossibly tightly wound, and Joel would've thought of her as pretty if she hadn't been giving him the coldest of stares. It was almost as if she knew him.

But did he know her? 

Yes, a memory tickled the back of his mind. He remembered being... a friend of hers? No, the cold stare negated that notion. An enemy? That seemed closer, but why? It wasn't the best feeling to forget someone you should have embedded into your mind by now. Especially when they...

As she walked over, the flashbacks came to Joel like punches to the gut. Fast, sharp, and with no remorse.

"You." She snarled. Her voice was deadly and full of venom. Purple venom. 

Joel tried to play foolish. "Me?" Hopefully, playing dumb would avoid any confrontation.

It didn't work. "Oh shut up." Fran's fists were clenched. She could feel her usually dignified way of handling things threatening to crumble away, and reveal a true madwoman. "I cannot believe the nerve of you. You break out and have me hunting like a dog for weeks. Weeks!" The woman tried to remain at a stable level of anger. "I lost a good job because of you, you insolent moron!"

Joel couldn't believe her. He was the insolent one? She was speaking of him as if he destroyed her company with no mercy. All the vampire did was break out to find home again. "I can't- holy fuck, I did NOT even want to see you ever again!" He fiercely informed her. "You have the nerve to even say these things to me? You tore me from my home!"

"You were violent!"

"I was accused!"

"What the hell is going on?" Ray spoke up. He had just placed the coffee on the wooden table. "Who are you?" He asked Fran. She straightened her coat, completely ignoring the coffee that was waiting for her on the counter.

"Fran Morgan." The name sparked anger in Joel's eyes. Ray noticed. "This... this heathen was a part of-"

"The Neighborhood." The immortal cut her off. He knew that talking about this with the younger man around wasn't wise. It wasn't a topic he was comfortable with discussing. Still, Joel knew it would come up sooner or later. "She was the leader of the Neighborhood I came from."

"And he was the one who brought me down." She retorted. "You started something in Austin that never needed to even happen."

Joel shook his head. "I can't fucking stand you. I never started anything."

"That's what you think!" She pointed a finger at his chest. He was still taller than her, but Fran looked like she was scolding a child. "They all began rebelling once YOU did! You had to have been a part of it. Either that, or they saw you, and copied you!" Her face was scrunched into hate and insanity. "I had to kill to get answers. Answers that revealed NOTHING."

"K-kill?" The younger man off to the side was almost as much of a bystander as everyone else staring at the commotion. Almost all of them had no idea what they were talking about.

Fran Morgan smirked evilly. She was truly a wicked woman. "Silence all your little allies next time, Joel Heyman." The name was spat like spoiled milk.

Once confusion passed, sadness was present. "W-Walter..." He realized. She couldn't have... it was too inhumane...

But the look in her eyes proved that the bitch would.

"Joel, calm down..." Ray was shaking his arm. He was upset too, but Joel was heartbroken. "Joel, please... not here, at least..."

The vampire's hot tears rolled down his face. It's funny, if he hadn't drank fluids like a human, there would've never been tears. Now he seemed more human than ever, crying in rage and astonishment at the absolute horridness that was Fran Morgan. Only now, she didn't seem that way on the outside.

Shaking slightly, the vampire felt like he could completely lose it. Tear her to shreds. Drain her completely. Anything to stop her from living, and staining society's subpar name with her putrid existence. 

"You're a complete monster!" He roared at her. A few people jumped, startled at the sudden raise in pitch after such a long silence. 

"No," Fran took a step back. "in this world, you are." She went and got her cold cup of coffee off of the counter, leaving a tip and exiting the establishment.

She took one sip and threw it in the nearest trashcan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Message me :D


	6. Make Them Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joel is sad. Sad and angry.  
> Ray is more worried about the anger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the slow updating!  
> This chapter is short, but meaningful!

Joel and Ray hadn't paid for their untouched coffee. The workers didn't ask them too. When the vampire rushed out of the coffee shop, all his boyfriend could do was follow him and make sure he didn't do anything reckless. 

"Joel!" He called out. The vampire swung around, the hurt prominent in his features.

"She killed him, Ray!" Joel didn't hesitate to yell. "Murdered him." The vampire couldn't have any more of a gut-twisting feeling. It just wasn’t fair. He had envisioned Walter safe, with his family, free...

The worst part was that, it was all his fault. 

Ray tried to calm him down. They were going to cause a scene in the middle of the day if the immortal kept yelling like this. “We need to talk about this somewhere else...” His voice was low, to avoid suspicion. He reached Joel, and put a hand on his upper arm. “I know it hurts, but this isn’t the place to be... expressing right now.”

“It’s all my fault...” Joel said. “I could’ve-”

“None of it is your fault...” The younger of the two felt a pang in his chest. A pang of familiarity... Joel felt like how he had once. “We can’t really save them all, can we?” It was a bittersweet saying, of course. Ray felt like an asshole for saying it. But, it was true. You just can’t help everyone. 

Especially in that situation. 

The vampire wiped a tear trail from his face, suddenly embarrassed at his behavior. He was the older one, yet he was acting like a fool in front of everyone that was on the street. He stared into the deep brown eyes of Ray and tried not to let another sob fight it’s way out of him. He was still a mess, but he had to hold it together. At least, until he was behind closed doors. 

They drove home in silence. Ray kept glancing over at the driver, who was stoney faced. Any conversation he had in mind always died in his throat when he looked over. It was such a sad sight. All the younger man could do was think about Walter, and wonder how much pain Joel was in. 

Once inside their apartment, Joel sat on the couch. Ray didn't dare tell him to remove his shoes, but Joel did so anyways on his own. Then, he buried his face in his hands. 

"How could this have happened..." He said, mostly to himself. "If I had just remembered him... if we had just turned around..." At first, the second statement puzzled his boyfriend. Then, realization came to him.

Michael hadn't turned the car around to get Walter.

"Joel, what Fran did was... fucking disgusting." Ray began. He stood next to the vampire, who was wallowing in despair. "We didn't know she was going to-"

"Kill him." The immortal spat. "Humans treat us like shit, but she treated him worse." Ray didn't know where Joel was going with this. "I... I could have saved him, at least. He just wanted to be good... he just wanted to be a fucking good person..." Aimless anger bubbled to the surface. Fresh, burning tears pricked his eyes, yet Joel didn't let them fall. "Nobody can try to be a fucking good person in this world of assholes, can they?!" The sudden outburst startled the other man; his eyes widened at it. 

Ray knew that the vampire was angry, and was becoming nervous. He was usually very chill. He hadn't been this angry since Halloween night. Strange how that night is being brought up more and more lately... "Joel, I don't think we can do anything about this..." He cautiously said. "I feel terrible too."

"You don't understand." Joel stood, looking at Ray with fire in his eyes. The younger of the two didn't know if it was directed at him or not. "There are so many things wrong with this... with what she did... to Walter..." He ran a trembling hand through his mess of dark hair. "But who's to fucking say she's the only one that would do that? That HAS done that?" Joel was furious. "The constant targeting of vampires... has GOT to stop..."

Ray know this whole conversation was shifting to a different topic. This wasn't just about Walter anymore. "I- what do you want to... I don't understand..." He was, in all honesty, frightened about what Joel even wanted to do about all of this. 

"Don't you realize? Nobody stopped her from killing Walter." He spoke with passion. "That means nobody is stopping other humans from killing other vampires in secret. Either that, or they don't CARE enough." Joel looked away from Ray.

"Don't you think we should make them care?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Don't be afraid to comment!


	7. Detective Barb's Complicated Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara had nothing to do with the small conflicts going around the office... But suddenly, she finds herself witnessing all three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was super super late bro! I'm soooo sorry, but I hope it lives up to the suspense building, spine tingling sensation I wanted it to at least barely have.   
> I'm pretty sure that when I get more free time, I can pump out more chapters faster.

Thursday was a very calm day, if you didn't know about all the craziness that was going on. Take Barbara, for example. Barbara, as innocent as a daffodil... with a habit of drawing dicks. She smiled as she pulled a bottle of water out of the company fridge. She was about to say hi to Kerry, but he a Brandon were whispering about something. Weird.

They only glanced over at her, and Brandon offered her a quick signature vampire smirk before continuing his conversation. Whatever it was, it seemed serious. 

Barb didn't take it too seriously. Must've just been for some production they were thinking of. She took a swig of her water and went down the hall. Maybe she could give Joel a quick visit. He and her don't really talk much, but when they do, it's usually comedy gold.

"Hey, Heyman..." Her words trailed off when she saw only Adam and Jeremy in their office. "Where's Joel?"

Jeremy looked over at Adam before shaking his head. "I, personally, haven't seen him all morning." 

Barbara turned her head to Adam, who only shrugged. "I saw him, but when I tried to talk to him, he was NOT in the mood." Double weird. Joel being in a bad mood? 

"How very unlike him." She tried to keep smile on her lips, but something had to be going on around here. Maybe it was just a strange day.

She said her goodbyes to the two and proceeded to the Achievement Hunter office. Surely they weren't going to be acting out of character. As she approached the room, however, there was no squawking or obscene words or even laughter coming from the office. Even when they were editing, they managed to be heard by two-thirds of the building. What the hell was going on?

Barbara opened the door. Geoff and Ryan were talking quietly, and Ray looked plain old nervous. Gavin was oddly quiet, obviously sensing the atmosphere. He only whispered a few made up words when he messed up some editing. Michael was absent, and Jack looked like he was doing some serious eavesdropping. 

Triple fucking weird.

"Okay, what the hell." She broke the controlled silence. Shattered it, actually. Jack noticeably jumped slightly in his seat, and Ryan cringed from her voice cutting through the atmosphere. "I've seen this company do some weird shit, but this is beyond mind-boggling." Barb shook her head in disbelief.

"What are you on about?" The vampire Brit looked over at her, a curious glint in his eye. Seriously, what was she talking about?

And since when did she dye her hair brown?

The (newly made) brunette ran a hand through her hair before speaking. "First Kerry and Brandon are whispering like school girls, then Joel's in a bad mood," She noticed that Ray seemed to pay more attention after she said that. "and now the Achievement Hunters basically have fucking duct tape on their mouths, because that's the only way you guys would ever shut up." Geoff shrugged. It wasn't false. "What the hell's going on?"

"How should we know?" Jack asked, just as confused as her. "We don't know what's going on."

"What are you, a detective?" Ryan piped up.

Barbara smirked. "Maybe I can be."

"God damn it, Barb, you can't be a detective!" He was really only joking about it.

"So pessimistic, Ryan." She folded her arms, water bottle still in hand. "I'll get to the bottom of this, just you wait." The man only rolled his eyes with a playful smirk, deciding to open a new tab on his computer. Maybe he'll check the news, see what's going on in the world.

Ray stayed silent. He didn't want to call attention to himself, and hearing what Barbara said made him worried. What was going on? Was Joel's issue the same as what was going on all around him?

It made him even nervous to think about whether it was or not. 

Barbara left them all, and went back to Joel and Adam’s office to ask Adam a question this time. Instead, she found Joel looking at the news from his computer. She quietly went behind him, reading over his shoulder.

The headline read: “Vampire Teen Found Dead in Alley”. Barbara still didn’t make a sound, realizing that now wasn’t the time for practical jokes. She tried to back out of the room, but the vampire in front of him spoke, causing her to pause her awkward backwards steps.

“The cops didn’t do anything, you know.” He said. Barbara’s never heard such limp words come out of Joel’s mouth. He was usually either very energetic or very passionate when he spoke. This was completely out of character. “They said they never heard the kid’s screams at all.” He made a sound that she assumed was his bitter version of a short laugh. “Bullshit. All of it.”

She had no idea what to say. It was odd that she ever watched the news seriously, let alone think too much about it. Now, Barbara knew she was no detective, but this had to be why Joel was so down. But how was it connected to the whispering? Was it even connected at all? “So, do they know who did it?”

He shook his head, still not turning back to look at her. “No idea. No fucking idea, just like usual, those ignorant...” He stopped himself and sighed. “Sorry. I’m just-just pretty upset, is all.” 

“I can... tell.” Barb felt awkward and out of place. “Do you want me to...”

“You can leave if you want.” That was her cue. She slipped out of the room, and saw Ryan suddenly rushing down the hall. His face was unusually angry and... troubled. Hadn't she just seen him minutes before, cool, calm, and collected?

Barbara didn’t know why, but something told her to speak up. “Hey, Ryan!” She called to him. He turned, obviously upset by something. When she got his attention, she didn’t know what to do with it. So, she said, “Have you seen the news?”

Bingo, she found the problem. “Yes, Barbara, I have.” He was pissed about it. Beyond pissed, actually. The boy he had saved not too long ago was announced dead, and like the day he had found him, nobody seemed to care. “The news is complete and utter bullshit.” And with that, he stormed off.

This was all too crazy. Barbara found out clue #1 and 2; that Joel was mad about the news, and Ryan was mad about it too. But why were they so mad about it? It was upsetting, sure. But what was the deeper connection?

Geoff suddenly came rushing down the hall too. “Ryan!” He called. “Ryan, wait!” He advanced into a sprint after his employee, who looked too angry to function. Barbara’s hair was blown up by the wind the tattooed man had caused when running. 

The running man passed Ashley and Brandon in an empty office, both staring at the same news. What the article was saying, as they scrolled downwards, varied.

"Look..." Ashley pointed to a part of the text. "It says something about... 'Victim of murder has been confirmed to be associated with the symbol seen on multiple walls in Austin, New York, and various other places, having the symbol on his jacket when found'... what symbol?" She hadn't seen the symbol on the news just yet. Once Brandon, who had seen the symbol on TV, informed her, she gasped, covering her mouth. "Does that mean his death had something to do with the symbol?"

The vampire to her right could only shrug and fold his arms. There was something stirring in their city, but what could it be? "I don't know, but I don't think we should leave it alone anymore. Let's try to tell Matt H., or Joel. Burnie, too, of course." He sighed. "They have a right to know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever


	8. From Worse to Terrible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan's mood has taken a turn.  
> Joel's mood tried to be lightened... and then went right back down again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy!

Geoff saw Ryan exit the building and chased after him, seeing him slow to a stop and lean against the wall of their building. He panted, his mind reminding him that he was getting too old for this shit, before walking over and trying not to collapse. Video gamers don't really do squats every day, you know.

The Georgian didn't make a move. He was frustrated, and confused. Killed... by who? When? Why? Was it a gang thing? A simple wrong-place-at-wrong-time thing? The back of Ryan's head softly hit the solid building wall, hoping to knock some sense into it. He never thought he'd see someone he had known -even if it was a very brief time- dead, let alone on in a public article.

Ryan had to leave the building, of course. He couldn't let anyone see what he was upset about, and how angry that got him to be. Usually he was a very mild mannered, reasonable man. Now, he just wanted to punch something. He had only told Geoff of his past situation with the boy, so was not surprised when he came scrambling after him.

"Ryan, you can't... " He paused to catch his breath some more. "Jesus... you can't just walk out like that! How are we supposed to explain to the other guys about what... what's going on?" 

Ryan ran a hand through his (ever growing) hair and shook his head, using the same hand to rub his eyes. He was so... so many emotions were coursing through him. "I don't know, I'm just not okay right now." He sounded extremely sorrowful. 

Geoff looked at him, his blue eyes searching the younger man's face. "I'm sorry, Ryan. I know it's tough to see that happen to anyone, especially someone you helped." The man looked away while he still talked. "But how do we tell the guys what's going on?"

"Maybe they've already seen..." Ryan offered the idea. "They have no reason to be affected." 

"Maybe... I guess..." Geoff groaned. "Fucking fuck, dude. What's going on with the world lately?"

He wasn't the only one thinking that.

Brandon approached Joel, and tapped his shoulder. He had already told Matt about it, who was glad to be informed. This wasn't something he would've known right away. Joel turned to the younger immortal, looking disgruntled and annoyed. Brandon sensed the upset vibe, but had no idea what it was for.

"Hey... J-Roll..." He smiled weakly. The vampire in front of him really did look like the dead. "I'm not sure if you know about this, but there was a teen killed in Austin." Joel seemed to get even more death-like. "He had a symbol on his jacket that's been going around Austin. If you see this..." He searched up the image. Much to Brandon's disappointment, he immediately found it. This was becoming a popular thing. "Try to stay away from it."

"I saw that on television." Joel informed him. Brandon looked slightly surprised, but nodded. At least the media was paying attention to the signs.

Later, around evening, Ray came home to an empty house. He had gotten a ride from a friend, since he knew Joel was going to be working later. He sighed, and rubbed his eyes. Maybe a nap was in order.

His thoughts drifted to Ryan storming out the office earlier. Geoff assured them he was just feeling sick, like he was going to vomit. Ryan nodded, but seemed fine the rest of the day. Troubled, but not in a sick way. In a serious way. Ray wracked his brain, thinking about what could've gotten the gentle giant so worked up. That lie about him being sick didn't fool him.

He wondered if he should call Joel as he went to shower before his nap. Wrapping the towel around his lower half, the Hispanic shook his head with a smirk. No, he was alright. 

But Joel wasn't going to be alright. 

He was in a convenience store after he got out of work, which was rather small. The sun had already set, and it was pretty dark. Joel was planning to get Ray some flowers, to apologize for his sour attitude. He knew that his boyfriend was scared and worried about him. Joel's eyes glanced at some roses, but shook his head. Too generic. 

Bred carnations caught his eye much more. They were a beautiful peachy color, and smelled like how they looked. The vampire picked up the bundled up flowers, smiling softly. Yeah, this should do it.

To his left, a bald woman in mostly black picked up a pocket knife. She looked it over and smirked, thinking about how many vampires would taste the blade. It'll show them that their rebel bullshit will only get them in more trouble.

Maybe the bloodsucker to her right would be the first victim. All of the vampires knew about the Resistance, so therefore, they're all a part of it. At least, she thought so. She bought and left the store with the knife, but didn't leave the area.

Joel was walking across the parking lot with the bought flowers, since the store was a part of a chain of businesses, and saw someone coming towards him. His ability to see at night made him aware of something in the person's pocket, where they had their hand as well. They were shady-looking, and Joel tried to stay away from the person.

As they passed each other, Joel tensed in the dark of night. He knew he probably didn't have a reason to, but it didn't stop him from instinctively acting defensive. Nonetheless, he continued to his car, the lot mostly empty now. If he had been paying more attention, he would've heard the second pair of footsteps walking with his own. He wasn't until he reached his car and went fishing for his keys was he aware. The glint of a knife caught his eye in the reflection of the mirror before he felt himself being yanked down, the flowers falling to the cold pavement.

Ray woke up from his nap an hour before Joel got home. It was 10:30pm, even though Joel said he'd be home by 9:00. He paced in the living room before picking up the phone and calling for what seemed like the twentieth time. No answer again.

"For fuck's sake, Joel..." He feigned anger in order to hide the fear that was crawling in the back of his mind. Maybe he should call someone else. Maybe he should call the police-

The door's handle rattled, then turned. Ray looked up and saw his boyfriend stumbling through the door. Clutching his upper arm, he coughed continuously and leaned against the wall as he entered the apartment. His keys fell on the floor.

"Joel, oh my God!" Ray went and closed the door, helping Joel get to the couch. He was bruised and cut, bleeding from above his eyebrow and somewhere underneath the sleeve of his jacket. "What happened to you?" He was also very weak. He could barely look Ray in the eyes before almost drifting off or wincing in pain.

"A... I don't... even know..." He coughed again. "I just..." Slowly, Joel removed his jacket, and T-Shirt, leaving his upper half naked. Carved in his arm, by a knife, was a vampire face. It was like the ones in the news, but this one's eyes were X's. It was a message of death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh plot twists!  
> Tumblr: aam5ever


	9. The Returning Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The carving in Joel's arm leads to a bigger possible horizon, and a bigger possible nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyye plot! I'll try to update these better and more often. I hope you enjoy!

After he got cleaned up, Ray offered, and then pleaded for Joel to drink from him. He knew it would help Joel heal, but Joel didn't want to. He wanted to show Brandon and the others.

"Why?" Ray had no idea what was going on, let alone the reasoning behind why he would want the carved flesh to be seen.

The vampire sighed, knowing his and Ray's night was already ruined. Would this information he's going to tell his boyfriend worry him? "There's... possibly a gang of vampires in Austin." He saw a look of confusion settle on Ray's face. "This thing on my arm in the symbol. At least, I fuckin' think it is. Brandon was the one who told me about this shit."

Ray's eyes widened. "This... what..." He was trying to piece things together. "Show me." 

The tone of seriousness in his voice made the immortal nod and go to Ray's computer. Within minutes, a news article showed up. The only place the younger man recognized it from was Ryan's computer screen. A dead vampire, reported to have a symbol of what the city assumes is a gang on his jacket.

"It's eyes aren't X's, though." Ray glanced at Joel's arm. "Maybe yours is... an anti-group?" The notion sounded stupid coming out of his mouth. 

Joel nodded, however. "I see what you mean." He looked over at Ray's face, who he found staring worriedly at his Ray's blush softly surfaced, and he rubbed at his neck's bite, as if massaging it. Joel smirked, still in a bit of pain. "I'm gonna be alright, dude." He got up out of his rolling chair while Ray stood up straighter.

He put his hand on Joel's arm, the statement not helping him shake his nervousness. "But, what if they try to find you again? What if this is some sort of fucking sign?" Joel chuckled. Ray was acting like him, twitchy and concerned over everything. Soon he'll be spewing nonsense about gold. 

When it looked like he was about to go on, the taller of the two halted his words with a kiss. Instantly, Ray's eyes closed. They smooched with passion, Joel thinking about how cute a worried Ray was, Ray thinking about cute an ANYTHING Joel was.

When they seperated, Joel enveloped his boyfriend into a hug. 

"You know," Joel whispered into Ray's ear. "I was trying to buy you flowers." It was as if he was telling a secret.

Ray looked up at him with an amused grin. "No fucking way." He laughed. 

"Yes way. I'm guessing they're still on the parking lot ground."

"I hope it was none of that rose bullshit."

"Of course you do."

That night, Ray had something he hadn't had in weeks. He thought he had shook off the habit, gotten rid of the demons. Yet, they visited him that night, in a nightmare.

He found himself in an alley. Something felt heavy in his hand, and he looked down. A gun, something has never even used before, was present in his fingertips. The awkward cold of the weapon sent a chill up his spine. Ray also found himself wearing a jacket. It was leather, and identical to the one the boy in the news had. The only difference was that the vampire face's eyes are X's. 

A yell startled him. A sudden panic rushed up Ray, from the base of his feet to his head. A fear of being killed by the fluctuating whispers behind him urged him forward. It was a familiar voice, the one who screamed. and it attracted him to it. Ray found himself looking at someone curled up in the corner of a dead end, hoodie dirty, shoulders trembling. The gun in Ray's hand felt even more heavy than before.

"Help..." The weak voice send a spear through Ray's heart. It was Joel. No doubt. The vampire turned, eyes scared. They softened when he saw the familiar face. "Ray..." His eyes then scanned the symbol on the breast of his jacket, and his eyebrows furrowed. "Ray?"

The younger man had already seen his boyfriend's own symbol on his own jacket; an angry vampire face. Suddenly, the whispers behind him seemed to be people. People he knew, from Fran Morgan to even Jack. They all basically said the same thing.

Kill him, and you will be free. 

Something clicked in Ray's head. Somehow, what they said made sense. He could be free, if he just killed Joel. Killed Joel... how could he?

And why was the hand carrying the gun raising?

"Ray..." Joel's voice began to worry, then panic. "Ray, please. Don't do this. Fuck, please..." He began to cry blood. The blood that Ray had given him. His essence, flowing out of his boyfriend's eyes. Something about that was enraging, and another part of it was beautiful.

The voices got louder, the coaxing turning into urging, and then demanding, and then pressuring. Ray nodded, saying he understood. They'd kill both of them if he didn't kill Joel. They'd free him if he did.

The click of the gun made Joel go into hysterics.

"Ray, Ray, please!" He pleaded. "I love you... I love you so much. Let me live, just let me live." It was scary, seeing a vampire pleading for his life like this. Ray felt like crying, yet no emotion was present on his face. It was suddenly like an out of body experience, and he saw himself center the gun, and heard the deafening 'bang' afterwards.

The bullet was wooden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad people read this and enjoy it.  
> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Message me :D


	10. Broken Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray's nightmares may not have completely left him, along with human vs vampire affairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the huge delay, but I hope you enjoy the (short) chapter. I love feedback, by the way. ;D

Joel sat up in the middle of the night, a sharp pain in his arm reminding him of the events that happened. Next to him in the bed, Ray fidgeted and moaned. Joel stared at him, waiting for him to stop. When he didn't after a while, the immortal's eyebrows knitted together. He sat up, shaking the man next to him. He only twitched and screwed his face up more. 

"Ray..." He knew what was happening. After Halloween night, Ray had nightmares every night. He had behaved exactly how he was behaving now. The younger man made another face of displeasure. "Jeez, what's going on in there..." Joel had to wait for him to wake up on his own. He couldn't be shaken out of it, he had tried that before. It only made the dream worse, and Joel was scared to do anything else. Waiting was the only option.

Suddenly, Ray grabbed a handful of Joel's shirt. He was not doing well. Not long after, his eyes sprung open, and he had a sharp intake of breath. His eyes were frantically darting around the dark room. They finally caught Joel in their view, and he let himself sigh in relief. 

"Ray, are you okay?" He was going to slowly wrap his arms around him, but the other man had hugged him close in an instant.

He began speaking shakily. "I dreamt of me shooting you." The statement hung in the air awkwardly. "We were in opposite gangs... they'd kill me and you if I didn't... they would free me if I did... I was trapped... and then you cried blood and then it was a wooden bullet and-"

"Dude, calm down..." Joel said in a cool voice. "Dont worry... I'm right here..." The nightmare was disturbing, but he wanted to make sure that Ray was calm before he went off on his own thought tangent. "We're okay. We'll be okay." 

They stayed like that for a while, clutching each other in the shadows. The only noise to be heard were passing cars outside, and Ray's heartbeat. Eventually, they laid back down, and the human drifted back to sleep. 

Joel, however, couldn't rest. The dream that Ray had did not settle well with him. The gangs... the whispers... he hoped that the nightmares would leave him again soon. Seeing him so scared wasn't something Joel wanted to get used to. Not again.

The next day, Friday, Burnie was hearing from Ashley, Ryan, and Joel about their individual stories with the possible gang war going on. They all met him at the same time by accident, but found out they had much more in common than they thought. 

Burnie sat back in his chair, overwhelmed with information and disturbed by all of it. “Damn...” He said under his breath.

“What if this gets too serious?” Ashley said, concerned. 

“I think it already has.” Joel pulled up his sleeve, showing the scar. They all gaped and stared at the face on his arm.

“Joel...” Burnie was at a loss for words. "How come you-"

"I couldn't let it heal. I had to show you guys." He looked away and lowered his sleeve. "...Ray had another nightmare last night."

Burnie understood what that meant. "Will he be okay?"

"Hopefully."

"What do we do about all these events going on?" Ryan questioned, concerned. 

"We can't really do anything..." Burnie said reluctantly. "It's not our fight."

"That's bullshit!" Ashley shouted. They were all surprised with her tone. "It should be, Joel got fucking beat up because of it!" She was enraged. "Multiple vampires are being attacked because of an organization they're not even a part of!"

Joel bit his lip, and nodded. "Yeah." He had felt the same rage she did not too long ago. The feeling of helplessness wasn't stranger to him, or to Ray. "Burnie, you know she's right. We have to figure out something..."

"You guys know where this is headed." He warned them all. "A human on vampire comfrontation is going to break out."

"It's been like this ever since HALLOWEEN." Ryan admitted. "It's not going to break out. You can't break out something that's already taking place."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Send me questions and prompts!


	11. Slow Seperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joel and Ray's relationship is becoming... twisted as Ray's thoughts and nightmares come between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should this be angst? What even is angst? I apologize for sad things.  
> It'll be getting worse, I promise.

When the rest of the company understood what was going on, people were on the look out for more attacks. People always talked about it, and checked in on Joel and Ashley and such. It's was driving Ray insane. Why was this happening? He knew that he was still scarred about what happened a few months ago. Was this going to make him snap again? The pressure of keeping a controlled front both at work and at home was tiring. He tried to suppress thoughts and tune out conversations, but that didn't work all the time. They always wormed their way into his mind, causing him to drift off on a thought tangent or get some terrible nightmares...

...which were becoming more frequent.

He wasn't a stranger to Joel's arms in the middle of the dark. To the soft whispers of assurance that only chipped off the top of the gigantic iceberg within. To the lukewarm sweet kisses peppering his forehead and lips as he tried to get screams and darkness out of his mind. 

Once night was a particularly terrible one. Ray had to scramble out of the bed and turn on the light. The light chased away the darkness, at least, in the room. His thoughts still swam with the absence of light. Joel was getting out of the bed to go towards him, saying things that Ray wasnt even listening to. He was just looking for anything out of place, anyone else in the room, anyone else-

"Ray!" Joel snapped to get his attention, He didn't even notice that the vampire was right in front of him. It scared him half to death, and he tensed when the immortal finally embraced him. "Ray, this has got to stop... these nightmares you have... they're tearing you apart." He let go of him and stared into his wide, dialated eyes. "Talk to me..." 

The younger man looked away. He couldn't express his dreams anymore. They were all the same lately. Death. Darkness. Rivals. Whispers. 

He began to sleep on the couch the day after. 

It was the week after they all talked to Burnie now. Michael, Jack and Gavin were recording a Let's Play with Matt and Lindsay in GTA V. It was another Free Play one in first person, and Michael had been silently trailing behind Matt for a very long time.

"Michael just got very quiet and I'm uncomfortable." Gavin commented. Michael shot him an amused glance before leaning over to Ray.

"Ray," He tapped the guy next to him. "Ray, look at my screen." The Puerto Rican snapped out of his editing/thinking and looked, beginning to laugh. 

"Goddamn it." He said between breaths, chuckling.

"Shhh..." His friend told him. Ray nodded, smirking and going back to his semi-daydreaming.

He only snapped out of it again when Matt shouted out when he was suddenly shot in the back. The following minutes were Michael maniacly laughing while everyone else cracked up about it. 

"Damn it, Michael!" Matt laughed. 

Jack smiled. "You guys are such good coworkers."

"Now, there's no need to be sarcastic, Jack." Lindsay joked with him. The redhead shot the chopper he was in with a grenade launcher. Jack's surprised noise made her giggle. "That's for being sarcastic."

Joel walked in just then, and began to watch the Let's Play taking place. Ray actually tried to ignore him, and knew that Joel knew. They had been pretty cold to each other for a few days. Ever since Ray moved to the couch and refused to go to bed with him, Joel stopped talking to him. He just felt as if he made Ray uncomfortable. Ray, in turn, felt as if he was mad at him.

Gavin saw him hunch forward into his monitor more, but his eyes were elsewhere. He was confused. Usually the Hispanic would say hi, or smile, or at least look at him. There was a disconnection between them. He picked at his fang before turning back to his character, who was currently being shot by some policemen. He retaliated with four shots of his pistol before he died, and respawned not too far from the confrontation. 

"Joel in the house!" Michael yelled out. Joel smirked.

"Yes, yes..." He said into Matt's mic. "I am, indeed, in the house." Ray shifted in his chair, and the older vampire's eyes caught the movement. He tried to play it off like everything was fine, though. "What's goin' on?"

"We're fucking around in GTA." Explained Lindsay. 

"Carry on, then!" He leaned away from the mic and yelled. They all chuckled, but Gavin only saw Ray twitch at that. When Joel left, they finished the Let's Play shortly after. 

Ray didn't move when everyone broke for lunch. He didn't even move when Gavin sat next to him. He only did when Gavin tapped him profusely, causing him to groan and look over. 

"What?"

Gavin shrugged. "How are you?"

The Hispanic rolled his eyes. "Fine, Gavin. Go eat something."

"Why don't you?"

The question caught Ray off guard. "Um..." What could he say that didn't sound suspicious? "I'm just not hungry."

"Are you okay?" Gavin finally asked. "You're acting bloody weird."

"No idea what you're fucking talking about."

"For Christ's sake, X-Ray..." He sighed. "Did you..." He didn't know what else to say. "...break up with Joel?"

Ray's eyes went wide, and he shook his head. "Hell no! Why would you say that?"

"I don't know, you were just faffing about while he was in the room. Not even looking at him..."

"I don't have to look at him." Ray stressed. "It's not a requirement."

"Ray, something's going on between you and Joel." Gavin stated it as if it was fact. He had no idea that it was. "You don't have to tell me, but don't lie, you doughnut."

The room was silent. What Gavin was saying was correct, which is why Ray felt like he couldn't debate it anymore. So, he nodded instead.

"You're right." Was what he told him. "Something's going on." He left it at that. The Brit didn't press on. He simply gave him a very lovely hug.

Gavin patted his back. "Don't worry, X-Ray." He then left the room. Ray couldn't help but smile. Sometimes Gavin was a terrible prick, but sometimes he was a not-so-terrible slight nuisance. Besides, he hadn't had a hug in a few days. He began to miss them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hugs for all!  
> Tumblr: aam5ever


	12. Needed News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the newsanchors spread lies, Ray finds one truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty much writing in bursts, which is a shitty way to write.  
> I still hope you enjoy!

"More reports of possible gangs in the New York and Austin area are circulating." The news anchor stated. "People even reported gunshots and other public disturbances in apartment areas in NY. Investigations are underway. Multiple policemen claim not to know about these disturbances."

Michael sat in his apartment with Lindsay. They were watching the news, his arm draped over her shoulder. He rolled his eyes at the channel.

"You'd think the police would be more fuckin' active about this bullshit."

"They're assholes." Lindsay agreed. "Just like they were during that whole Halloween fiasco."

"Do you think they'll favorite humans?" He asked. "Like, care less about targeted vampires?"

Lindsay thought about it for a while. Her mind wandered to Joel, and she nodded. "This is all so stupid. Why do we even live in a world like this?"

Michael shrugged. He had no idea what to tell her.

"The Austin area is warned to watch for stray vampires at night." The news anchor continued to speak. "The gang members are anonymous, and possibly deadly. An organization working against them is also beginning to spread, though not as rapidly. Both should not be supported."

Joel ran a head through his hair, and sighed. The news just wasn't even covering it these days. They didn't know how bad they had it all wrong. When the apartment door opened, Joel quickly shut the TV off. 

"Hey." He simply greeted. 

Ray seemed to sort of notice he was even there, and then looked away. "...I was stopped today." He removed a slip of folded paper from his pocket. "He thought I was a vampire... or maybe one of them... I don't know..."

"What're talking about?" Joel stood up. This was the first real conversation they've had in a while, and Joel didn't even understand it yet. Ray handed him the paper and then began to take off his jacket. The immortal unfolded it, and read it to himself.

'Meet underneath the abandoned warehouse, we have more plans, The Watchers have been Watched'

"...Ray, who gave you this?" He was concerned for his boyfriend. 

He could only shrug in response. "I don't know, shit, he just picked me out and pulled me to the side."

Joel's eyes glanced to Ray's bite. "Maybe it was your..." He awkwardly motioned to it. At first, he was confused. When the Hispanic got it, he bit his lip and rubbed it.

"That... might be it."

A very impatient silence, urging to be broken, passed between the two. Words too fragile to be spoken just yet were held in their mouths. Their tongues were sitting uncomfortably in their mouths, both wanting to move, both being restrained by two hesitant lips. 

Finally, Joel spoke. "Ray, I-"

"Have you been..." Ray accidently interrupted. He look away, embarrassed.

"...Go ahead." The vampire said. 

The human didn't feel comfortable at all. "...have you been keeping up with the news lately?"

Bam. There went Joel's entire set of fragile words. It was too soon, anyway. He hadn't let them strengthen. "Yeah... everything's getting fuckin' ridiculous." Was all he could say about it. It was all he wanted to say about it, since he knew the subject upset his partner.

"Oh... okay." Ray's eyes trailed the note that Joel now put on the coffee table. "I'm gonna go take a shower." 

"Great... great." Joel said, mostly to himself, as his boyfriend left him. 

Later that night, he got up from the bed. Figuring it was late enough, the vampire padded over to the bedroom door and opened it. It creaked slightly, causing him to cringe. However, no sound came from the other room other than some shifting. Okay, a lot of shifting. Ray was having another bad night.

Joel slipped into the living room, and the glint of Ray's glasses on the coffee table slightly startled him. He then saw the frowning figure on the couch, face screwed up unhappily. He wanted to go over and hold him in his arms, but knew that would only agitate Ray even more. Besides, he felt betrayed. He was equally not communicating with Joel as he was with him. Why couldn't Ray be the one to talk first? 

Fueled by that annoyance, his eyes now flicked down to the note. A simple note, with so many possibilities. He knew that Ray would keep it to himself. Joel plucked it off of the table, having the idea in his mind that yeah, what he was doing was good. What he was doing was the better for them all.

He went back to bed, trying to not think about if he would notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever


	13. Relationships Tested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joel and Ray may be reaching a very low point in their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arguments are fun to write, but suck to be in.

He actually didn't notice until Joel went to work earlier than usual.

Ray woke up, exhausted from last night's dream, to see Joel coming out of their bedroom ready to go to work. He was so disoriented, he didn't even have his glasses on. Joel gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Burnie called me in early. Michael said he'd come pick you up for me. I have to go, bye!" Joel excitedly told him while on the way to the door. The door slammed before Ray could even get a word in, and when he tried to, it came out as a strangled mess of a sentence.

With a sigh, he went to go wash his face and go about his morning activities. The atmosphere was as if he was single, and that made him slightly upset. Usually he'd like the quiet. Now, quiet was uncommon. It was always chased away by Joel's humming or Joel watching TV or Joel talking or Joel in general. The thoughts of when that would be mornings, and that was only a week ago, made him smile. Lately, his mornings felt as if he was single. 

Actually, they were lonelier than that.

It was only after Ray brushed his teeth and showered and ate did he realize what was amiss. The man was getting his phone from the charger, almost ready to leave, when he saw the absence from the table. Standing up straight, Ray furrowed his brow and looked underneath the table. He looked near it. He searched the entire apartment (which took a while), but still had no luck. This was such a shock to him, and he had no idea what to do. The note had a lot of purpose, and now it was just gone?

"Adam, it'll be fine." Joel was trying to assure Adam Ellis. "It's for the best-" Suddenly, his phone began to ring. Adam shot him an unsure glance before turning to his monitor. Joel excused himself before answering his phone. "Hello-"

"Joel do you know where the fuck the note went?" The vampire suddenly became interested with his own pale fingers. It was as if the short man was right in front of him.

He knew he was about to stutter. "I- what?" The nervous habit took over. 

"Joel, I can't find the note." Ray's panic was very apparent in his words. Guilt was building up like a water balloon in his boyfriend's chest. Geoff passed by, and saw Joel biting his lip with stitched eyebrows. Something was troubling him. 

"Dude! Can you help me out here, for fuck's sake?" The Hispanic snapped at his phone. He looked under the couch for the fourth time, and began tearing off the pillows to look under them for the second. 

Meanwhile, Joel wasn't sure what to say. "I-I don't- maybe it's under the table?" 

Ray rolled his eyes with a groan. "Where do you think I checked already?"

"How am I- In what situation would I ever know?"

A sudden possible realization started seeping into Ray's mind. Joel was stuttering a lot. What would he be nervous about? He tried to make the thought it go away, but it wouldn't. The line was silent for a few moments before Ray spoke again. "You didn't... you didn't take it, did you?"

"W-what? I don't- Ray..." His own words weren't making sense to him. Yep, he was so fucking busted.

"Joel, what the fuck!?" In the apartment, the door had knocked. Ray knew it was Michael, but he ignored it. "Why the hell would you do that? That was my personal thing, you can't just fucking steal it!"

"It was for the best!" Joel argued. He knew he was being too loud, so he went back in his office, and motioned for Adam to leave. Adam knew the signal, and did so. They've done this multiple times to each other, so they didn't consider it rude. "You can't just keep it all tucked away. You have to tell people about it!"

Ray groaned loudly. Outside, he heard Michael calling his name. "How would you know I was gonna keep it all to myself, huh?"

"I know you, Ray. You've been doing that for the past few fuckin' days!" Maybe that was a bit more personal and off topic. It wasn't false, though. At least, not to the immortal. 

"Where is it?" The Hispanic tried to say in a calmer tone. He also said it to get off the other topic.

Joel rubbed his face, frustrated. Ray had dodged the topic like he would a bullet. "Burnie has it."

"GODDAMN IT, JOEL!"

"If he has it, we can go see what the fuck's actually going on!" 

"I'm still offended you didn't bother to ask me!"

"Ray, you can't- I knew you'd say no."

"Of course you did. Because you know everything about me, right? Because you know how my brain works, right?"

"I wish I could, because then I'd know why you're sleeping on the Goddamn couch!"

The silence was palpable. You could swim in it like water, hit it like a wall. It was like that for seconds, and Joel thought Ray would hang up just then.

Instead, he said one last thing. "Bye Joel. Don't forget to give away my sex life too, while you're at it." And then, he hung up. For some reason, that almost made the vampire bitterly laugh.

"Ray, what-" Michael was about to yell for him again when the door suddenly opened. The Puerto Rican stood there, and the redhead could basically see the fire in his eyes. "What the hell was that?"

"Don't worry about it." He rushed past Michael. "Let's go."

The air in the car was so thick, Michael cracked a window. Ray was looking out of the other one, obviously livid about something. Michael had heard the yelling in the apartment, but pressing it would probably have him end up with one less eye or something. Yeah, that was how mad this Hispanic was looking.

Stopping at a traffic light, Michael looked over to get a good look at him. Ray was pretty much scowling at nothing and staring into space. Whatever was in that space was really fucking pissing him off, since he was glaring at it so intently. The auburn haired coworker sighed, and advanced as the light switched to green. The breeze coming from his open window gave him a chill, but he refused to close it. 

"We're here-" 

"Yep." Ray got out of the car before Michael even full parked. He was too deep in his emotions to even fully think. Michael had to stop the car rather abruptly in shock that he just stormed out like that. He followed Ray, not far behind, but not exactly next to him. 

Work was tense, of course. Everyone had no idea what was going on, and nobody wanted to talk about it. They avoided Ray like the plague, afraid he was like a ticking timebomb. It was such a weird feeling, to be nervous around Ray. They didn't like it at all, but they couldn't do anything about it.

Gavin was the most concerned. He and Ray had only just had this talk about Joel. Whatever happened last night or this morning had to have been connected to that, right? His worried eyes caught Michael's, who shook his head as if to warn him not to speak to him.

Ray didn't get up when people began to leave for lunch. He immediately regretted it when a certain vampire came in and basically cornered him. He didn't even turn around when he heard the familiar voice that he was just yelling with this morning.

"Ray..." It was a voice full of cautiousness. He hated that Joel did what everyone else did with him today. Treat him cautiously. "We have to talk at some point." 

Ray shook his head in disbelief. "What in the hell made you believe I want to talk right now?" He spoke with sharp tones. 

Joel's face was full of desperation at first, but now it started to harden. "I don't understand why you're not talking to me. Why you're never talking to me."

"Oh, I thought you could just guess when I was upset and why."

"Ray, Goddamn it, stop making all this harder than it has to be!" Joel raised his voice. 

Ray finally turned around and stood up. "I'm making it harder than it has to be? You're the one that fucking stole something from me when we're in a relationship!" 

"I-I was going to tell you." Joel stammered.

"When? After I noticed?" 

"We should talk about this later..." Joel began to back away. "This was a bad idea, I thought you'd cooled down..."

"Cool down?" 

"What the dicks is going on in here?" Geoff opened the door behind Joel, who jumped back in surprised.

The vampire looked completely frustrated. "Sorry Geoff I... I'm gonna go." He slipped past him and left the room.

Ray plopped down in his seat and rubbed his face, sighing. He was exasperated, and he showed it. Geoff pulled up a chair and began to talk to him calmly.

"Ray... can you tell me what's going on?" He spoke as if he was figuring out a fight between two children. 

He looked at his boss, annoyed. "We're... fighting." 

With a nod, Geoff looked him in the eyes. "Want to talk about it?"

Ray slowly nodded. "Can I come over later?" He didn't want to be anywhere near his apartment. "I'll talk to you about it there, if that's okay." He was suddenly very exhausted.

His boss nodded. Patting his shoulder, he got up. "I hope things aren't too fucked up."

Ray hoped so too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever


	14. Drunken Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray decided to try to force himself to forget his problems, but they're hard to forget when they're pouring out of your mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is paving the way to an interesting one, which may possibly have a sexual content warning! *wink*

Joel was waiting for Ray outside the Achievement Hunter office, to take him home. It was the end of the day, and people were beginning to leave. Burnie passed by, and stopped to see the man's fang gnawing at his lip. He was surprised he didn't pierce the skin. 

"Joel, are you okay?" He walked up to him. 

The vampire looked at Burnie, and then away. "I need the note back." 

"What?"

"Burnie, I really need it back." He pleaded. "It may have just cost me my relationship."

There was silence before Burnie removed the note from his pocket and put it in Joel's hand. "I took a picture of it, just in case." He informed him. "It's a really important note, but I don't want you getting into any more trouble with it."

Joel sighed. "Yeah..." He pocketed the note, right as Ray walked out of the door. Their eyes locked on each other before the Hispanic spoke.

"I'm going to Geoff's house." He quickly told him. Burnie saw the tension between the two, and knew that his friend wasn't joking at all. Geoff followed Ray, and turned to give them one last confused look before leaving with Joel's boyfriend.

Griffon had been watching the news and groaning when they both entered the home. She turned off the TV and went to greet Geoff, and found Ray trailing behind him.

"Hey guys!" She gave a quick kiss to Geoff before hugging Ray thoughtfully. "I haven't seen your face in a while."

He laughed at that. "Well, here I am." He gestured to himself. "You don't mind if I'm here, do you?" He sounded like a child, and he hated it. 

Griffon picked up on the tone, and shook her head. "When would we ever?"

Ray took off his jacket and hung it on their coat hook. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. Sitting down on their couch, Griffon asked him a question he'd never forget. "Do you want something to drink?"

His hesitation made Geoff throw him a strange look before he answered. "Do you... have any alcohol?" His cheeks reddened under both of their stairs. "If that isn't too much, of course-"

"Okay dude, the fuck is going on?" Geoff asked as he sat down on the couch next to the nervous man.

"I just... I don't know where to begin..." He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly. His boss didn't say a word about it. He took out his phone and saw that Joel texted him. He turned his phone off, but not before his friend saw the contact. "Maybe I shouldn't have come..."

Geoff shook his head, blue eyes warm and concerned. "Nah, don't say that. Just... calm down and begin where you want to begin."

Just then, Geoff's wife came back from the kitchen. "What kind of um... alcohol do you want?"

"The strongest you've got, please." He couldn't believe his own words, and neither could they. What's gotten into him?

Geoff caught her eyes before she left. Griffon gave an expression of complete befuddlement that he could easily match before she went to a liquor cabinet and decided to let him have whisky. "Ray, why do you want to drink? I know you hate it..."

He had to think about this one. "You know how why I hate liquor, right? It tastes nasty, I hate feeling out of control, and I hate not remembering things..." Ray glanced at the two glasses of the brown liquid Griffon placed on the table, and picked one up. "Well, I already have a bad taste in my mouth, I already feel out of control, and I don't want to remember a lot anymore..." He lifted the glass in the tattooed man's direction, as if to toast him. "Bottoms up." Down the hatch.

It took him a minute to stop screwing up his face so much from the taste. Geoff looked at him with sympathy, drinking his own with not as hard of a reaction. "So..."

"So it began with all these damn news reports..." Ray started. He began to tell the man all of his story, like a drunken man would a bartender. This was almost the situation, anyways. At some point, Griffon joined them, drinking her own red wine as Ray continued to inch his way to drunk. 

"When I started having the nightmares again, I didn't want to worry anyone at all." He sighed. "I didn't even want to worry Joel, so when I kept waking up more and more, and he kept trying to talk to me about something I didn't want to pester him with... I began to sleep on the couch." Another sip of his bittersweet memory eraser. "I thought it would solve things, but it just made them worse. He stopped talking to me."

As the tale went on, Geoff noticed Ray's eyes tearing up slightly, and his words becoming more slurred. "...and then he took the note and gave it to Goddamn Burnie." His voice raised slightly at that. "It's like he doesn't trust me, you know? What kind of fucking relationship..." He trailed off, and then began again. "That's why I was so upset all day... we yelled at each other, and now here I am." He smiled brokenly.

His boss gazed at him at first, in awe at what he just heard. All of this drama, going on right under his nose. He put an arm around Ray. "We're always here." He informed his employee who was swaying slightly under his arm. "Do you want to stay the night?"

Ray paused for a moment before answering. "I-I think I should go..." He looked at the drink in his hand. It was his third, and half full. Knowing the consequences, he downed it before placing it as gently as he could on their table. Griffon couldn't help but wonder if Ray's decision to go home was a good one. 

"I'm glad you came." The words escaped her lips naturally, without her even thinking. His brown eyes met her steel blue ones. She come over and hugged him once more. "Don't hesitate to call, or to text, or to... you get the point." He smiled a small smile at that, and she pulled away, hands on his forearms and soft grin reaching her eyes. "Alright?"

"Y...yeah..." He sniffled a bit, mind becoming hazier, and he realized that maybe being drunk wasn't so bad when you were around people who took care of you. A warmth filled up his stomach and his heart, and that all that mattered.

Once the lazy smile reached his face, Geoff could tell Ray was happy with that. "I'll take you home, buddy." The man tossed Ray his jacket, which he barely caught.

"Thanks, man..."

Once they got in the car, Ray decided to check his texts. Joel's name stirred the memory of frustrated anger about the man. He knew he was supposed to be angry as hell, but he began to think that being angry wasn't going to solve jack shit. They were just going to fight until they broke apart... something else had to be done.

Then, his mind was clouded with sexual thoughts. When was the last time they kissed? Like, ACTUALLY kissed? He wanted to pin the motherfucker against a wall and make him weak at the knees with his lips. Ray was in a sticky situation. What did he want more, an apology or a copious amount of mouth-to-mouth? 

Geoff looked over at the out-of-sorts employee. "How're you feeling, dickhead?"

"H-Huh...?" Ray lazily snapped out of his thought process as they drove. 

This earned him a knowing smirk. He then turned his eyes back onto the road. "Ray, I hope this whole gang thing is over soon..." He said it nonchalantly but sincerely. "I also hope you and Joel sort things out." 

Geoff pulled over at Ray's place, and was about to get out of the car when the younger man stopped him. "I got this..." He was talking about walking up to his own apartment. He got out of the car with a final goodbye before beginning his wobbly adventure to his home.

Once he opened the door, Joel was on him, hugging him close. The vampire's pale skin was slightly warm. He had just eaten. Ray didn't move, still taken aback by the sudden affection.

"Ray..." He let go and looked at him up and down with his chocolate brown eyes.

The younger man was caught between frustrated and aroused. All he could muster was, "Joel..."

The immortal sniffed and caught the scent of alcohol in his breath. "You're drunk."

"Obviously."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever


	15. Broken, but Actually Fractured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Joel plan their small steps to recovering from their recent fall out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I solemnly apologize for my recent disappearance. I DID have other one-offs that I worked on, but other real life things occurred that occupied my time. This is a pretty short chapter, but hopefully a reminder that I've still got this in mind.

Joel stared at Ray, and vice versa. They were waiting once again, seeing what one would say about the other. Waiting for one to test the waters. Waiting for one to set the stage. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

It was Ray who started the conversation, which was a surprise. "We... we have to figure us out." His speech slurred slightly.

There was a beat of silence before his boyfriend responded. "We do."

The smaller began to take off his jacket and shoes. "I can't... I can't take this- this constant tension between us." He smoothed down his shirt. "It's fucking tiring." He hiccuped a little. "I mean, it's like we're not damn adults. You'd- you'd think we can talk this out... and not yell at each other. Each other is two words, by the way." He threw in the fact. "I almost forgot." Ray rubbed his temple, unsure of what'll become of the two. 

Joel could almost smile at this. Finally, they were somewhat on the same page. "I know, and I'm sorr-" He immediately was interrupted by his boyfriend.

"Shhh..." Ray's index finger was lazily pressed onto his mouth before he could begin his planned apology. The man inched closer to Joel until they were almost chest to chest. Ray's lips met his.

Apparently, Ray had decided that he needed to do talk about it and express it at the same time.

Joel felt himself being leaned into. One of Ray’s hands snaked his hand into his tousled hair as another went around his waist. The immortal could feel the drunken longing in Ray’s lips, and gave into it. The younger man continued to kiss him, getting his own high off of their continuous embrace. Lips began to move in a bit more syncronized manner. Eyes closed, they were completely infatuated with each other. Words said, without a single word said. 'I miss you' was a very prominent statement that was exchanged.

The moment last not very long, but felt like days they needed to make up. They both know that this confrontation would have to happen at some time. Joel pulled away and look into the warm eyes of his boyfriend. "Ray, I really think... maybe we should... I want you to sleep with me."

"What, you're getting frisky already?"

"No, moron," He chuckled slightly before adopting a more serious tone. "I want you to stop sleeping on the couch, and instead sleep on your own bed. OUR own bed." Joel noticed the younger man slightly tense at the thought. "I'm here for you... I promise everything will be alright." He embraced Ray closer, as if to tighten the promise.

The human was unsure, and it was written all over his face. He was still bothered by dreams, and wasn't sure how this was going to go. "Joel, I can't-"

"If you can't tell me, tell me why you can't." He interrupted. The immortal had caught him by surprise. "I've got to fuckin' understand the issue, Ray. I'm- I'm just all ears." He was genuinely serious. 

The shorter of the two nodded. He was still swaying slightly, and Joel took this as a confirmation that this was the first step to mending whatever had been breaking for the past days or so. 

With their lips brushing against each other's one last time, Ray backed away a little. "I hope that note was put to good use." He was still bitter about it all, but at least he wasn't shouting. 

"Oh, yeah..." The vampire pulled something out of his back pocket. "I was going to give you this before you... left the office..." He held it out. Ray gingerly took it into his own fingertips, eyes scanning it a few times before looking up. Some of the stray coldness he felt towards the immortal in front of him chipped away.

His eyebrows furrowed. "You got it back?"

"I... I honestly shouldn't have even taken it in the first place." Joel admitted. 

"T-Thanks..." Ray folded the note and gave Joel a quick, yet truthful, smile. His swaying steadied itself a bit, but he was still pretty wasted. 

"Yeah, you should go to bed..." He began to lead Ray to the shower. "How did you even get so drunk, anyways?"

"I asked."

Joel had gotten Ray to lie next to him, under the sheets. He had gotten him to cuddle close, his nose inhaling the other's scent. He had coaxed him into turning off the light, and staying with him to sleep. What he couldn't do was get Ray to cease his nightmares. 

It was in the dead of night when the younger man made a sudden, violent twitch before waking up in a sweat and spouting what seemed to be gibberish. Joel sat up, and he could see the whites of Ray's eyes wide and alert. It was like he was looking for something. 

When the eyes turned to him, they seemed to relax a little. "They wanted to- to take us away and torture us for- for..." He couldn't even muster up words. He was shaking a bit, too frightened by the made up situations the materialized while he slept. Joel knew this is what he fretted. Retelling his nightmare. Trying to explain it. It just had to be done though; this wasn't something you could just keep to yourself. 

"Tell me what happened..." He pulled the covers up to possibly ease the shuddering of the younger man. 

Ray looked like a deer in the headlights. "I-I don't..." He was having an inner conflict. Bother Joel about his dreams, or keep them to himself? Picking the opposite choice of what he did before, the man began to talk.

It was nearly time to get up for work when they stopped talking. Joel told Ray to rest for a few minutes while he made them tea. After being joked about being a 'British fuck', he made sure Ray drifted off before tiptoeing out of the bedroom and making them their drinks.

That morning wasn't as lonely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever


	16. And Things Keep Going

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan's not in the best shape, and Ray decides that maybe finding the rebels is a solid idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY.  
> I've abandoned this for other things and multiple reasons and I have decided that this still has a bit of fight in it! This hiatus has been on for what feels like decades but hopefully this'll help!

Ray went to work on the Tuesday before February with a pretty standard headache, drooping eyelids, and a lazy smile. He and Joel were taking steps to building their relationship up, and so far, results have been positive. There were a few days of more insecurity where the younger man really did prefer the couch. There were also a few days of Joel thinking about the gang issue so in depth that he was hard to talk to. All relationships had their ups and downs, though. They couldn't let these tear them apart, like they almost did before.

The police had began to crack down on vampires even more around them. It was degrading, and annoying. When they were walking out of their home to the car Monday morning, one of the police men had questioned Joel for 'looking suspicious'. 

"Officer, I have no idea what you're talking about..." The vampire shot a confused and slightly frightened look at Ray. 

The man with the mean look in his eye spoke. "It's not very natural to see someone like you with someone like him." He jerked his thumb at the younger man before turning to him. "What's he doin' to ya, huh? Makin' you stay with him?"

"Sir, I am with him by choice." Ray defended. He tightened the scarf around his neck so the officer wouldn't question that as well. "Why would you fucking assume something like that?"

It was obvious why he would. It was like the police these days were brainwashed to assume the worst of the immortals. The gang rumors going around had heightened, yet nobody talks about the anti-gang or their wrongdoings.

Now it was Tuesday, and Ray had woken up feeling relatively well. He had a very short bad dream, so most of his night went undisturbed. He also slept in his own bed this time, Joel warming him as the cool late January air blew. Yes, these few good things were at least something to hold onto before bad news came.

"I had to break up another fight this morning." Ryan had just come in and sat down. Ray heard him, but didn't look over. He was afraid of what he would see. Ryan had a good reason to say this before taking off his hoodie and looking over at Geoff. His left eye was turning a dark shade of purple. "One of the guys caught me in the eye." This was what caused him to turn silently towards the conversation.

His boss put a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. "Does it-"

"Hurt?" Ryan took off his overcoat and laid it over the back of his chair. "Quite a bit." He rubbed his hands together. Today was a rather frigid day. "But nothing I couldn't handle. I think it'll be fine." The man was a strange mix of calm and frustrated. The calm was much more prominent.

Just then, a young vampire waltzed in, Meg right behind him. "Hello every- JESUS, Ry!" He interrupted himself. Gavin took a few steps forward, eyes scanning the bruise. "Who gave you the black eye?"

"Some fucking fuckfaces on the street." Geoff cursed freely. "Was it because of..."

Ryan nodded, eyes glancing over at Ray. He averted his gaze when he realized that the man was looking at him wordlessly. "It's getting worse." 

The rest of the work day went on regularly. Well, at least as regularly as it COULD go. Ray felt awkward looking at the other man, and the other man felt awkward looking at anyone. He kept his gaze on his computer, and didn't turn to others when they spoke in Let's Plays. Everyone made sure not to call attention to his bruise, for both his and the audience's sake. Live action video had to be shot for GO! around the afternoon, so Gavin had to search for Arryn. She was a wizard at makeup. 

While the rest waited for the vampire to come back, Joel came in with Lindsay. They both stared at Ryan's face, too taken aback to even muster a greeting. Geoff shot them both glares that had a message as plain as day. 'Don't talk about it'. 

"So, what's up, guys?" Joel was not very good at hiding his emotions. Ryan turned back to his work. 

"We're about to do an episode of GO!, but we need a bit of... setup first." Said Jack. 

Before Lindsay could ask what the setup was for, Ryan answered without turning around. "They need makeup for my eye."

"Oh..." She nodded, understanding. There was a bear of silence before she turned to Geoff. "What's the GO! this time?"

"I can't just go around telling the objective before the show, now can I?" Geoff understood that she was trying to shift the topic. 

Arryn came in and sat Ryan down eventually. Everyone else went to busy themselves with other things as to ease the feel of the office. She had the makeup kit that Meg usually used for The Know, and looked ready to get to work. "Ready?" She asked first, brush in hand.

The older man smirked, trying to keep a positive attitude. "We've got to get to filming, don't we?" 

Everyone was more quiet and awkward during GO! than usual, but Geoff didn't have the heart to urge them to film it again. He worked with what the had. 

Nobody knew how to approach the issue anymore. Ryan wasn’t going to have a good looking eye for a while, and Ray could only avoid the man’s gaze so much. He felt terrible for looking the most uncomfortable in the office. Even Gavin was putting up with it better than he was. When Joel and Ray left, Ray brought up a proposition in the car.

“Why don’t we find the vampire rebels together?”

Joel shot him a confused, unsure look before turning back to the road. “What makes you say that?”

Ray immediately began to rub at the bite mark on his neck. “Finding them might be best. We talked about people starting riots... it might happen sooner than we thought. And THEN what would we do?” 

His boyfriend mulled over the thought. "You're... you're not wrong." He shook his head as he advanced once the light turned green. "Not wrong at all..."

"Joel, this place'll get hectic." Ray told him. "What'll happen to you if vampires start riots along with other people?"

"I... I don't know, Ray." He admitted. "I really don't." His grip on the steering wheel got slightly tighter, thinking about all the disaster that could happen if that came into action. "How will us going to a rebel meeting, if there is any, even do a fucking dent on what might be in store?"

Ray looked out the car window. "If we know more about it, maybe we could prevent it." He seemed unsure.

Joel didn't know whether to support the man or not. "That's..." He wanted to talk him out of it, but knew that it wouldn't last for long. The younger man might just bolt one night anyways. But the dangers... Joel didn't want to see Ray laying unconscious ever again. "A good idea."

So he'll protect him so that history won't repeat itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever


	17. Back on Track

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Joel make plans to find one of the meetings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuuuuck it's been so long.  
> I've been working on so much other stuff so this may not be updated regularly!

They got home and the younger man immediately went searching for the note. Joel turned on the television, assaulted with immediate news coverage and pictures. It was more of that graffiti.

"God damn..." He crossed his arms, not even bothering to sit on the couch. "They just won't quit with this..."

“Got it!” Ray notified him from somewhere in the bedroom. He brought the note out and showed Joel, who took it, reading it over. Ray’s thick brows were furrowed, as if trying to figure out a problem. In a way, that’s exactly what they were doing.

Joel raised an eyebrow at the note. “These ‘watchers’ seem to be a pretty... popular topic with these guys.” The phrased confused and disturbed him. “Also, what warehouse could they mean?”

“Well, did Burnie get to check the note out?”

The question reminded the vampire of their differences in the past. He looked over at Ray, who was all business. “Yeah... he did...”

“Maybe he can look up some warehouses in this area.” He offered as an idea. “We can maybe visit them, see if anything is going on or different down there.”

Joel smirked, one of his fangs showing. This kid never ceased to amaze. "Right. I'll call him." Before leaving Ray to personal affairs, he gave him a gentle kiss.

"What's that for?" The younger man could help but ask. 

The smile on Joel's face widened. "A boyfriend can kiss their boyfriend sometimes, can't they?" He then went to the home phone. Ray shook his head slightly with a chuckle before taking a look at the news. It seemed to be on 24/7 when they were home. 

The vampire picked up the home phone and dialed the familiar number. Tapping his foot, he barely let Burnie greet him before he started talking. "Hey, Burns, do you think you could do us a favor?"

"What's the problem?" His friend sounded concerned. 

"Look, Ray and I have been thinking about this note..." Joel disclosed. "We were thinking that maybe checking out these warehouses may help us figure out what the hell is going on. We need to know the local ones, though." 

Over the line there was silence. Finally, Burnie spoke, saying, "It might be dangerous. We don't know what these places can have, or who could be there."

At that statement, Joel's rebuttal was, "We really don't know until someone sneaks in and checks it out. It's the only way." He heard the sigh Burnie usually have to Joel's ideas. "I swear I'll keep Ray safe and that we won't approach whoever's there..."

"I think Ray's the one that's gonna keep you safe, honestly." He laughed. "I don't know when we started becoming a spy company..." The immortal could almost see Burnie massaging his temples. "Fine, I'll check out what's going on around here. Besides, I'm giving you guys paid leave for trying to keep us all safe from a possible uprising." He said. "Unless you fuck up. Please try not to fuck up."

Glancing over at the man sitting on the couch, he said with promise, "I never would."

That night, Joel was the one fidgeting. Ray, next to him, was sleeping peacefully. His chest moved slowly up and down as he breathed. The vampire admired the human, marveling in how tough yet fragile he was. Ray's experienced more demons that Joel has at times, and now Ray was now dating what others would call a demon. 

However, his mind was still worrying about everything. Could Ray's dreams become a harsh reality? This was all so confusing... if only humans and vampires could put aside the differences and get along. The vampires may look threatening, but some wouldn't hurt a fly.

Others are unpredictable.

Would having these resistances help or hurt the cause? The vampire could decide, flipping onto his back and staring up at the ceiling. He just knew that something is going to happen, and it's not going to bode well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: aam5ever  
> Message me!


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